"The Glory in 'Glorious'" and "Singer of Praises" by Himring

Singer of Praises

At the victory celebrations after the Dagor Aglareb, Fingon misses his cousin Maglor and seeks him out.

‘Makalaure! Tonight all the voices of the Eldar are lifted up in song, celebrating our victory. But I have missed your voice among them. Mightiest singer of the Noldor, do you not think this glorious battle of ours is worth a song?’

‘Have you forgotten how this battle began, Findekano?’

‘With the Dark Foe attacking us?’

‘With my failure to hold the Gap! I let the enemy through and they wrought havoc in eastern Beleriand.’

‘Maitimo has spoken to me of this. He says it was his mistake.’

‘He would.’

‘He would—but is he wrong to say the reinforcements he sent arrived too late?’

‘That is but to say I should have held until they arrived.’

‘It is but to say that maybe it was both of you who erred—or neither. Do you truly think we made no mistakes on our side or that they had no consequences? We are all of us learning still, Makalaure. None of us knew how to conduct a war when we set out—on this scale or on any scale at all! But still we won. We won! Come now, let us praise the praiseworthy tonight that their deeds be not forgotten! It will be soon enough to consider our errors by the cold light of dawn.’

‘Very well—I will come and praise the deeds of Findekano the Valiant, hero of the Noldor…’

‘That was not what I meant!’

‘I know that was not what you meant, cousin! But I will! Do not fear—I will not forget to praise anyone else deserving of praise in our ranks either, I have more skill than that—for this task at least I was trained in Valinor…’

Chapter End Notes

Quenya names: Fingon (Q. Findekano), Maglor (Q. Makalaure); reference to Maedhros (Q. Maitimo)